Meaning & use
overjoy
Last updated
UK/ˌəʊvəˈdʒɔɪ/
US/ˌoʊvərˈdʒɔɪ/
Meaning
verbtransitive
To fill someone with very great happiness.
Grammar: Takes an object: the news overjoyed her.
Patterns
- overjoy someone
The good news overjoyed the whole family.
Her sudden visit overjoyed her grandparents.
Seeing his daughter graduate overjoyed him.
Word forms
| third person singular | overjoys |
|---|---|
| past tense | overjoyed |
| past participle | overjoyed |
| -ing form | overjoying |
Common combinations
- be overjoyed at
- She was overjoyed at the sight of her old friend.
- be overjoyed by
- He was overjoyed by the warm welcome.
- overjoy the crowd
- The late goal overjoyed the crowd.
- absolutely overjoyed
- The couple were absolutely overjoyed with their new home.
Synonyms and how they differ
- delight
- Delight is the common everyday verb for pleasing someone greatly, while overjoy is stronger and more literary.
- thrill
- Thrill suggests a sudden burst of excitement, whereas overjoy suggests deep, lasting happiness.
- elate
- Elate is also rare and formal, and often suggests a lifted, proud mood, while overjoy is simply great happiness.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: overjoy or overjoyed?
overjoy vs overjoyed
Overjoyed is the adjective most people actually use, as in I was overjoyed; the verb overjoy is rare.
Practice
The unexpected letter from her son ___ the old woman, who had not heard from him in years.
Choose one answer.
Overjoyed is the verb meaning to fill with great happiness, which suits a long-awaited letter. Overlooked means failed to notice and would not make sense here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “overjoy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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